1. Growth, A Metamorphic Look At
The Ugly Duckling
Brian Valentine
AED 303 Section 1
February 28, 2012

2. Run Down
• Based off famed story “The Ugly Duckling”
• Target Group: Third Grade
• Approximate Time:105 minutes

3. Pennsylvania State Standards
• (Science) 3.B.1. : Identify and describe the
similarities and differences of living things and
their life processes.
• (Art) 9.1.3.D: Use knowledge of varied styles
within each art form through a performance
or exhibition of unique work.
• (Art) 9.1.3.F: Identify works of others through
a performance or exhibition

4. Objectives
• Students will be able to show knowledge of the
metamorphic cycle by completing a worksheet on
the life cycle of frogs (guided activity).
• Students will be able to critique an art portrait for
a deeper meaning associated to content being
learned in class.
• Students will be able to relate one of “ The Ugly
Duckling’s” main themes, growth, to themselves
by creating an art project that represents
themselves now and who they would like to be in
the future.

5. Materials
• Black/Colored marker
• Scissors
• Colored Construction Paper
• Glue stick
• Colored Pencils
• Pencil for worksheet

6. Lesson Plan /Resources
• Read the “The Ugly Duckling” to students.
• What happened to the Ugly Duckling at the end
of the story?
• Does the duckling look different at the end of the
story?
• Why is the duckling considered beautiful at the
end of the story?
• Do you think other animals change appearance as
they grow?
• How do we change as we grow?

7. Lesson Plan/Resources
• Explain the term metamorphosis to students.
Show them the entire metamorphic process of
a frog along with a video .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce5_Vk_yNcY
When students grasp concept, give a
worksheet.

8. Lesson Plan/ Resources
• Introduce Alex Grey painting to students. Have
students look, analyze, and write what they
see. After students share, explain the
connection to metamorphosis or build on the
connection students have already made.

9. Alex Grey/Picture
• Alex Grey (born November 29, 1953) is an American artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art (or
visionary art) that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner.
His body of work spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art,
sculpture, visionary art, and painting (Wikipedia).

10. Lesson Plan/Resources
• After reinforcing student knowledge of metamorphosis through the
painting, briefly discuss human growth and how it’s similar(growth in size
and capabilities) and different (much longer; never fully change
appearance) to that of organisms who go through metamorphosis.

11. Lesson Plan/Resources
• To end lesson make a brief visual analogy of metamorphosis
to human growth that will be the main focus of the lesson
ending art project.

12. Art Project
• Students will create a double themed portrait out of cut
construction paper pieces. On the top of the page will be a
caterpillar and a butterfly. On the bottom of the page will be a
current representation of the student and a representation of
what they would like to be when they grow up.

13. Evaluation
• Informal- guided activity worksheet, student
written analysis of Alex Grey painting, and
questions about brief human growth
discussion.
• Formal- rubric for lesson ending project.

14. Resources
• http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/
amphibians/label/froglifecycle/label.shtml
• http://www.ourclassweb.com/webquests_fro
gs_tasks.htm
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce5_Vk_y
NcY